It seems like only last week (ok, it WAS only last week) that we were posting about Thanksgiving, preparing ourselves for plates and plates of food, and possibly bracing ourselves for some uncomfortable family interactions. And now, in almost an instant, Christmas is upon us. You should know that I absolutely love Christmas. Sitting back, sipping on a cup of hot chocolate, and smiling as I’m mesmerized by the twinkling lights on the beautiful, albeit slightly crooked, Christmas tree, the smells of cinnamon and evergreens and cold (yes, I promise you cold has a scent), the ancient, funky popsicle stick blobs we pass off as ornaments, the excitement of finding just the right gifts for the people I love – …

Thanksgiving is a loud affair in the Barnett household. Too many Italian women cooking too much food in too small of a kitchen – it’s a recipe (pardon the pun) for disaster. By the time we sit down at the table, laden with autumn hues and the Pilgrim salt and pepper shakers that predate both my sister and me, we’ve had at least three arguments, spilled something on another thing that’s probably dry-clean-only, and someone has whispered a cuss word or two under his or her breath because inevitably, we’ve burned the rolls. I love it. Sometimes the holidays don’t turn out quite like we envision, though, do they? Sometimes they fall at inconvenient times. Sometimes while it seems that …

We’ve been a little quiet over here, but it’s only because we’re working on some pretty cool stuff for y’all – pinky promise! First up, our annual Christmas card is coming together nicely. Here are a few glimpses behind the scenes at our photo shoot today: Clearly we are selfie masters. A few of our photo booth props Even Bob got in on the fun! We can’t wait to share with y’all all the great stuff we’ve been scheming up for next year! We’ve certainly been busy, busy bees around these parts! Keep in mind that if your group signs up for a summer 2015 trip and pays the 50% deposit by Dec. 5th, you’ll get 10% off …

And now, back to our regularly scheduled program – let’s meet another MLab staffer! This week, we’d love for you to get to know our videographer, Ryan Watts. Ryan is a student at the University of New Orleans where he’s working on a degree in computer science, and he’s been doing video work for about four years. Ryan is a New Orleans native who loves all the different adventures that this city has to offer. Food is the best part of living in New Orleans for Ryan, and Emerald’s being his favorite restaurant. He also enjoys all the festivals that happen in NOLA, taking in the music, the good food, and the culture. Ryan can also be found supporting New …

“Syaw or sabz?” I must have clumsily asked that question a dozen times, mostly because my Farsi is non-existent and I had to keep repeating myself to be understood. “Black tea or green?” Over and over again. Wednesdays are a little different at the refugee center: only women in the building, a more relaxed atmosphere, and lots and lots of hot tea. I knew deep down as we started the day that something significant was happening. I had been feeling it all week, and I sensed it even more so with each handshake and kiss exchanged as the refugee women filed in. As we settled in with our tea, our hostess, an incredible woman who has served at the center …

I am not a hero. I am NOT a hero. I am not a HERO. Sometimes I have to repeat that phrase to myself so I’ll remember, well, to remember that I am no hero. I don’t have super powers, a glowing, golden lasso, or even a cleverly named sidekick. But there is something about going on a volunteer trip that kicks that latent “savior syndrome” into high gear. Those of you who know me personally know that I spend a lot of time trying to coax this syndrome out of the groups that volunteer with MLab in New Orleans, so you would probably think that since I rail against “savior syndrome” so much that I’d be immune to it. …

If you’ve been following #NOLAtoGR on social media (if not, you definitely should be!), you’ve seen a little bit of our Grecian journey so far, and let’s be honest, from our pictures of the delicious food, incredible views, and plenty of smile-filled selfies, it probably doesn’t seem like we’re “roughing it” as you might expect us to do on a trip like this. You might be wondering when our “real work” begins, and you’re probably not the only one asking that question. I’m going to let you in on a little secret: sometimes serving and volunteering involves more than nose-to-the-grindstone tasks. Sometimes it’s sharing a meal and a conversation with a local ministry partner. Sometimes it’s catching up with a …

Since March of 2011, MLab has partnered with a refugee center in Greece. And if you’ve been through our program in the past three years, you’ve heard about the dire situation of the refugees there. In the time since our partnership began, some of our MLab team has had the opportunity to serve there. They have seen the faces and heard the stories first hand. Today, for the first time, I have that same opportunity. Soon, I will see those faces and hear those stories myself. I am blessed beyond measure for this opportunity. But if I am completely honest, sitting here in the airport about to board the first flight, I am also more than a little scared. As an …

In this third week of staff intros, we come to Evan Anderson, marketing guru and guitar player extraordinaire in our worship band, The Grace Well. Evan has actually been working with MLab in some capacity since 2008, starting as a summer staffer and sticking around after college to join the permanent staff. Evan is from Mandeville, just north of NOLA, and he loves pizza, reading, and going on adventures. He also holds the office record for fastest Rubik’s cube solver, clocking in at 140 seconds. On the flip side of things, Mr. Anderson loathes sports, country music, reality television, and fake British accents. If you offend him with any of these topics, though, you can make it up to him …

Another week, another staff member – today, we’d like to introduce our ministry site coordinator, Pete Harbin. Pete is our resident neat freak from a little town called Northport, who enjoys chick flicks almost as much as he loves Alabama football. He’s a third-generation twin, and he’s lived in New Orleans for almost a year. Pete started traveling overseas when he was 15, and since then, he’s set foot in 23 different countries. He had a hard time choosing, but when pressed on the matter, he decided that Egypt was his favorite. In the future, he would consider living overseas, but for now, he’s settled in New Orleans to work on an MDiv at the seminary. When he isn’t studying, …